All wonder is the effect of novelty on the ignorance. (Samuel Johnson)

I yet have to see one demonstration by a martial artist (in video or in reality) that is unexplainable by today's knowledge. A good start is the old book by Houdini, Miracle mongers and their methods, the last chapters about strongmen.

What I see there is a mixture of misdirection (make the onlooker overlook the vital details), clever use of not well know physical laws, tricks, and a very admirable control of their bodies.

No question, without long training you are not able to repeat many of the demonstrations, for you'd lack the necessary control of the body, but what happens there is well within the known laws of physics and physiology. These demonstrations are very impressive at first. The few demonstrations which are physically impossible (we had a group of martial artists touring Germany and I have seen a picture by picture analysis of a video), are clever tricks using misdirection (catching a bullet shot on them through thin glass which cracks to make you think there was a bullet flying).

Admirable control of bodies yes, unexplicable phenomena, no.

Wolfgang